Machine for coating articles with pulverulent material.



. R. W. LOTZ. MACHINE FOR COATING ARTICLES WITH PULVBRULENT MATERIAL.wwam APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8, 1911 Patented July 29, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wi fmemes I R. W. LOTZ. MAGHINE FOR COATING ARTICLES WITH PULVERULENTMATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED THE. 8, 1911. I 1,68,680. Patented July 29, 1913.

I asnmacrs-smmz.

5 M 2 F E-@- 5] woe 14 607 R. W. LOTZ. MACHINE FOR GOATING ARTICLES WITHPULVERULENT MATERIAL L6,680D

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 8, 1911.

Patented July 29, 1913v 6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

r R. W. LOTZ.

MAQHINE FQ'R COATING ARTIGLES WITH PULVERULENT MATERIAL. APPLIOATIONFILED FEB. 8, 1911.

1 ,068,680. Patented July 29, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

I Hi l! 4L R. W. LOTZ. v MACHINE FOR. COATING ARTICLES WITH PULVERULENTMATERIAL. APPLIUATION FILED PEB.8, 1911.

1,068,680.. Patented July 29, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

wi/bnwow as non.

RUDOLPH WM. LOTZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO- IBRAIDLEY & VRGOMAN GO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

MACHINE roncoarme ARTICLES wrrH PULVERULENT MATERIAL.

Application file d February 8, 1911. Serial No. 607,411.

I the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for coating articles with pulverulentmaterial and has for its particular object to provide a machine of thischaracter in which air currents of high'velocity are provided forcarrying the coating material with equal force to all parts ofthearticles to-be coated, and

. consists in the features of construction and of construction, and,Figs. 6 and 7 are detail Views showingmeans employed for feedingmeasured quantities of coating material to the coating chamber;

In coating articles with pulverulent material, it is desirable that theconveying air currents should impinge with equal force upon oppositefaces of the articles to be coated and that the same shall furthermorebe deflected at various angles to the articles to be coated so as toinsure the application of the coating material to every point in thesurface of the articlesand with such force as Y lodged upon suchsurfaces but not engaged therewith by the adhesive coating appliedthereto.

The main object of my invention is topro- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented July 29, 1913.

'- vide means whereby the foregoing results are obtained, other objectsof the invention be ing to provide the coating chamber receiving thearticles to be coated of such shape as to be completely swept at everypoint by the air currents so as to prevent the deposit of coatingmaterial u on the floor or other parts of the chamber w ereby a waste ofthe same is caused; to provide means forming a part of but divided fromthe coating chamber in which the surplus of unapplied coating materialis collected when it is desired to clarify the air contained within thechamber of unapplied powder particles; to provide means whereby thepowder thus collected may be delivered directly back into the coatingchamber to be conveyed to the surface of the next succeeding block ofarticles introduced into the coating chamber; to provide' means foradmitting fresh air to the chamber when it is desired; to provide meanswhereby predetermined measured quantities of coating material may beintroduced into the coating chamber; and to provide means for varyingsaid measured quantities at will.

Further objects of the invention will ap pear from the followingspecification.

The machine comprises a casing l which is substantially rectangular incross-section and is provided with a coating chamber 2 which issubstantially ellipticalv in vertical transverse section so that theside walls and bottom of the same are continuously curved. The upperportion of the coating chamber 2 is provided with a relatively narrowextension 3 which for-purposes of this description, I will term thesuction chamber. The free spaces in the upper corners of the casing 1separated from the coating chamber 2 and suction chamber 3 constitutedust-collecting chambers 4. These communicate with the suction chamber 3through membranes 5 of a suitable fabric and communicate with thecoat-ing chamber 2 by means of the dampers 6 and 7 adapted to bemanually-operated from the exterior of the machine to control saidcommunication. Said dust-collectors 4 further communicate wit-h thecoating chamber 2 by means of dampers 8 which are preferab'lytrough-shaped and adapted to receive the coating material receivedwithin the dust-collectors 4 and may be operated to deliver saidcoating'material into the chamber 2 when desired.

' support said articles. illustrated more or less diagrammatically thechamber 2 are rails 9 upon which the wheels of a truck 10 travel, thelatter being adapted to carry the articles to be coated and ,being'suitably equipped to properly Said truck is herein and is devoid of pinsand the like for receiving the articles to be coated. Doors 11 at theends of thecoating chamber 2 permit the'trucks to be inserted andremoved, it

being usual to provide means for continu-- ing the rails 9 externally ofthe chamber.

The web portions of-the rails are preferably municating with the tube 13with the coatby means of a belt 26 wit ing chamber 2 at anyconvenientpoint. In.

said tube 13 there 1s disposed a valve 14 manually operated andpreferably so constructed as to be normally maintained closed by aspring and when actuated against the action of said spring to deliver ameasured quantity of coating material into the coating chamber.illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 and will be hereinafter more particularlydescribed.

Passing longitudinally through the suction chamber 3 and journaled atits ends in suitable bearings provided therefor in the end walls of thecasing is acylinder 15. The latter is provided at various points betweenits-ends with suitable pairs of diametricall oppositely disposedbearings 16 in whic shafts 17, '18, and 19 respectively are journaled.Each of the latter carries a 'fan 20 of the propeller type at its lowerend'and is equipped within the cylinder 15 with a pulley 21, 22, and 23respectively. The other ends of said shafts pro ect above said cylinder15, the shafts l8 and 19 being equipped upon said projecting ends withpulleys 24 and 25 respectively, The ulley 23 is geared if a suitablesource of power such as a counter-shaft and is geared to the shafts 17and 18 by means of the belt 27 trained over the pulleys 25 and 24 and bymeans of the belt 28 trained over the pulleys 22 and 21. The saidpulleys and belts constitute a convenient form of gearing fortransmittingQmotion to all of said shafts from a single source of powerbut it will be obvious of course that any other suitable form of'gearing may be substituted The said valve is clearly.

from the invention; So also the'cy inder 15 constitutes a suitable 811150113 for the bearings/for Said Shafts 18'and '19, said cylinder beingadapted to b rocked during the rotation of the fans 20 by the meanshereinafter described but it will be understood that any other suitableform'ofrbcking member carrying bearings for said shafts may besubstituted for the cylinder without departing from the inven-f tion.The cylinder 15 is provided at one end with-a crank arm 30 which isconnected by means of the link ortpitman 31 with the crank pin32 of adisk' '33 "='gearedto any suitablev source of power to rotate the same,a so far as-the nventlo-n it being inunateri is concerned,rwhetherthesaid disk 33 is rotatab1y-mounted -0n the casing of the machine asherein illustrated or isjmounted externally of the same.

It is also immaterialwhe-therthe rocking motion is imparted 1 to-thecylinder 15 by means of a disk, such as shown or whether said motion isother-' wise imparted thereto. Above each of said res ective shafts 17,18, and 19, the upper 'wal of the 'casingl or suction chamberS isprovided with an o ening 34 closed bya sultable gate 35, the atterpermittln ac-.

cess for the purpose of lubricating the earings of said shafts and alsoservlng to admit fresh air to the coating chamber 1- through the suctionchamber 3. when desiredor necessary as-will hereinafter appear.

The res ective dampers 6, -=7, and 8 are operated rom the exterior ofthe machine by means illustrated in Fig. Each of said dampers is mountedat one end upona shaft extendin journale 'in-t e endwalls thereof, esaiddampers 6 being mounted up0n a shaft 36 and said dampers 7 and 8upon'shafts 37 a'nd38 res ectively. Mounted .upon one end of the shalongitudinally of the casin 1 and 36 is a lever 39 equlppeda at one endwlth a crank 40 by means of whichiit may be rocked and is provided atits other end with a short arm 41. The latter is connected by means of alink 42 with the free end portion of the crank arm 43 mounted u pon oneend of the shaft 37. The shaft 3 at the other side of the machineisequipped with a bell crank lever 44, one

arm of which is connected by means'of a lever '45 -with the crank arm 43and the other 'arm of whichis connected b" means of "a link 46 with thecrank arm 4 ,on the shaft 36 opposite the first-named shafts 36., v

Thus movement imparted to the" lever 39 is transferred to all the shafts36 and 37 to Q simultaneouslyoperate all of said dampers .6 and 7 toestablish communication between the dust collectors 4 andvthe coatingchamher. 2. One or said shafts '38 carrying a damper, 8 is equipped witha bell crank lever 48, one arm of which is connected with" I the rod 49adapted to be manually operated to rock saidshaft 38. The other arm ofsaid bell crank lever 48 is connected by'meansof a link 50 with thecrank arm 51 secured to the other shaft 38 so that both of said shafts38 will be actuated in unison as will be obvious.

The operation of the machine is as folglows: After a truck loaded witharticles -to be coated has been inserted into the chamber 2 through oneof the doors 11 and the latter has been closed, the several shafts 17,18 and 19 are caused to rotate at high velocity or said'shafts may bemaintained continuously in rotation at high velocity. At this time therespective dampers 6, 7 and 8 will be closed as shown in full lines inFig. 1. Af-

ter the door 11 through which the truck is admitted has been closed, thevalve 14 controlling the Supply of coating material to the chamber 2 isopened to deliver into said chamber a sufficient quantity of coatingmaterial to cover all of the surfaces of the contained articles to becoated. The air within the coating chamber is maintained in violentmotion by means of said fans 20 and the coating material introduced willbe immediately distributed in a cloud and carried in suspension by themoving air currents and thus deposited upon the articles to be coated.The direction of projection of the air by the fans 20 is beingconstantly varied by the oscillation of the cylinder 15 so thatit notonly rotates in opposite directions within the coating chamber but atintervals is projected vertically downwardly upon the floor of thecoating chamber, there dividing itself and passingnp along either sidewall thereof back to the suction chamber 3. By means of the glasscovered openings 52 in the doors 11 the operator can readily determinewhen the articles have been completely coated and thereupon the lever 39is operated to open the dampers Gand 7, throwing the latter to therespective positio-ns indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The saiddampers 7 when in said position will obviously serve to deflect aircurrents passing upwardly along the contiguous side wall of the chamber2 into the dust-collecting chambers 4c and owing to the communication ofthe latter with the suction chamber 3 through the fabric 5, some of theair carrying powder particles will be drawn back into the suctionchamber 3 through said fabric and the coating-material thus"filteredfrom said air. Baflle plates 53 and 54 are interposed in said dustcollecting'chambers 4 in the path of the air passing therethrough forwell known reasons. Thus the air traveling through the coating chamber 1will be quickly freed of unapplied powder particles and at the same timeowingto the high velocity of the air currents, the same will serve toremove from. the coated articles all surplus non-adhering powderparticles which may have become lodged upon any portion of thesurf-aces'thereof. It may be desirable after having opened the saidchambers 6 and 7 to also open one or more ofthe gates 35 to admit freshair to the chamber 2, it-

being obvious however, that no more air will be admitted through saidopenings than sufficient to supply the needs of the chamber -2 and byreason of the location of said openings 34; the discharge of air throughthe same during the operation of the fans 20 is not probable. After theair in the chamber 2 has been completely freed of unapplied powderparticles, the truck with its load of coated articles is removed usuallyand preferably through the door at the opposite end of the chamber 2from its point of admission. The fans may be maintained in rota- .tionwhile a truck load is being removed and during the interval of theadmission to said chamber of a fresh truck load to be covered and uponclosure of the doors and of the gates 35, if any one or all of thelatter should have been opened during the previous operation, thedampers 6 and 7 are closed. Before admitting a fresh supply of coatingmaterial from the receptacle, 12 it may be desirable to consume theunapplied powder particles contained in the troughshaped dampers Sand ifso the latter may be primarily opened to discharge their contents intothe coating chamber 2 and aft-er all or the greater part of saidreviously unapplied particles have been app ied to the articles,= anyquantity necessary .to completely coat the latter may be admitted byopening the said valve 14. The foregoing operation is now repeated forsuccessive batches of articles as will be obvious. During the foregoingoperations, the air in the apparatus becomes relatively very hot. It hasbeen found in practice that Warm or relatively hot air is veryadvantageous for the reason that it quickly absorbs any slight degree ofmoisture it may contain in the coating powderet the time of admissionand furthermore that it serves to accelerate the hardening of the sizingduring and subsequent to the coating operation.

The said air becomes relatively saturated with the volatile constituentof the sizing and is thus rendered relatively poor in its oxygen contentso that its oxidizing effect upon the coating powder is greatly lessenedwhich, in some instances, is decidedly advantageous. By maintaining thefans constantly in motion during the admission and discharge of articlesto be coated, a relatively very small quantity of fresh air is admittedto the coating chamber while either one or both of said doors 11 areopened and the temperature of the coating chamber is then maintainedrelatively uniform as is also the character of the contained air.

In 5 I have illustrated a modified form of construction in which theshafts 55 carrying the fans 20 are journaled in bearlit-5 ings .in thetop wall of the apparatus, said fans being disposed at a higherelevation than in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive andprojecting the air vertically only. The projected air is deflected so asto t averse the chamber alternately in oppositedirections by means of arocking deflector 56 mounted upon a shaft 57 journaled in hearings inthe end walls of the apparatus and to which a rocking motion is imparted either manually or by power in any suitable manner such forexample, as is employed in connection with the cylinder 15.

.In all other respects. the construction shown in Fig. 5 issubstantially identical with that shown in Figs. 1 to at inclusive.

The coating material is introduced into the coating chamber 2 inmeasured quantities by means of the valve 14: interposed in the pipe 13,said valve being cylindrical and provided between its ends with acupshaped recess 58. The said valve is normally maintained in positionto communicate with the receptacle 12 by means of a spring 59 in a wellknown manner and is turned through an arc of 180 by means of the arm 60mounted upon the stem of said valve. The said recess 58 may be enlargedor reduced by means of the movable member (31 slidably mounted in saidrecess adjacent one end thereof and which is capable of adjustment bymeans of the screw 62 rotatablymounted in the plate 63 suitably securedto one end of said valve. It will be understood of course, that anyother suitable form of construction of valve maybe substituted for theforegoing, the latter being merely illustrative of a suitable embodimentof the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the kind specified, a coating chamber having aconcave bottom, means for supplying coating material thereto, meansdisposed in the upper end of said chamber for setting the air containedtherein in motion to project the same upon said bottom, and means forvarying the direction of projection of said air to cause the same toimpinge alternately upon opposite side portions of said bottom.

2. In a machine of the kind specified, a coating chamber having aconcave bottom, rails supported thereon extending parallel with the axisof said bottom, there bein openings between the rail-tread and saidbottom for the passage of air currents. means within said chamber forprojecting the contained air to sweep the bottom thereof in a directiontransverse to the said rails, anda coating material supply for saidcoating chamber.

3. In a machine of the kind specified, a coating chamber having aconcave bottom, means for supplying coating material to said chamber, anair chamber above and communicating with said coating chamber, meansdisposed in the mouth of said air chamber 1: r projecting the aircontained therein int and upon the bottom of said coating chamber, andmeans for varying the position of said air projecting means to vary thedirection of projection of air currents upon said bottom of said coatingchamber.

4. In a machine of the kind specified, a coating chamber having aconcave bottom, means for supplying coating material thereto, meansdisposed in the upper end of said chamber for setting the air containedtherem 111 motion to pro ect the same upon said bottom, andautomatically operable meansfor varying the direction of projection ofsaid air to cause the same to impinge alternately upon opposite sideportions of said bottom.

5. In a machine of the kind specified, a coating chamber having aconcave bottom, rails supported thereon extending parallel with the axisof said bottom, there being openings between the rail-treads and saidbottom for the passage of air currents, means for projecting air uponsaid bottom alternately at opposite sides of said rails and means forapplying coating material to said coating chamber.

6. In a machine of the kind specified, a coating chamber, adust-collecting chamber communicating therewith at its inlet anddischarge ends, at least one damper controlling the connection of theinlet end of said dust-collecting chamber with said coating chamber, anair projecting means disposed within said coating chamber contiguous tothe discharge end of said dust-collecting chamber and means for applyingcoating material to said coating chamber.

7. In a machine of the kind specified, a coating chamber, a,dust-collecting chamber communicating therewith at its inlet anddischarge ends, at least one damper controlling the connection of theinlet end of said dust-collecting chamber with said coating chamber,means within said coating chamber located contiguous to the dischargeend of said dust-collecting chamber for creating air currents withinsaid coating chamber, said damper when open adapted to deflect aircurrents to pass through said dust-collecting chamber and means forapplying coating material to said coating chamber.

8. In a machine of the kind specified, a coating chamber, a suctionchamber contiguous thereto, air projecting means disposed between saidsuction chamber and said coating chamber and adapted to project air fromthe former into the latter, means for oscillating said air projectingmeans for varying the direction of travel of theair currents, adust-collecting chamber, a damper controlling the communication thereofat one end with said coating chamgoeeceeo i her, the discharge endofsaid dust-collectber, thedisch'arge end of in'g chamber'commu'nieatingz'with saidsueticn chamber and means for supplyingcoatin'gmaterial to said coating 'chamber;

9. In a machineofth e k'ind'specified, a-

coating chamber, a suction chamber cortti ous thereto air ro'ectin meansdist I a posed between said suction chamber-and said coating chamber andadapted to project airfrom the former into the latter, means foroscillating'said air projecting means for varying the direction oftravelotthe air currents, a dust-collecting chamber, a damper controlling thecommunication thereof at one end with said coating chamchamb'ercommunicating with said suction chamber, a filtering material interposedin the-discharge end of said dust-collecting chamber and meansforsupplying coating material to said coating chamber.

10. A machine of the kind specified com-- prisinga casing dividedinteriorlyinto a plurality of chambers, one thereof constituting thecoating'chamber, at'least one other constituting a dust-collectingchamber, the

latter communicatingat its inlet andldischarge ends respectively withsaidcoating chamber, a damper controlling the inlet end of saiddust-collecting chamber, means disposed contiguous to the discharge endot' supplying coating material to said'coating prising .a casing dividedinteriorly into a plurality of chambers, one thereof constituting thecoating chamber, at least one other constituting a dust-collectingchamber, the latter communicating at its inlet and discharge endsrespectively with said coating chamber, a damper controlling the inletend of said dust-collecting chamber, means disposed contiguous to thedischarge end of saiddust-collecting chamber for creating air currentswithin said casing, said damper when open adapted to deflect aircurrents to pass through said dust-collecting chamber and means forsupplying coating material to said coating chamber. k

12. A machine of the kind specified comprising a casing dividedinteriorly into a plurality of chambers, one thereofconstituting thecoating chamber, and two others constituting dust-collecting chambersdisposed on opposite sides of the casing and having their discharge endsopposing each other, the portion of said coating chamber lying betweensaid discharge ends of said. dustcollect-ing chambers constituting asuction chamber, dampers controlling the communiT cation of the inletends of said dust-collect- .ing' chambers with said coating chamber,

said dust-collecting sald dust-collecting chamber*fo-r creatingaiicurrents within said casing and means forplurality of chambers, onethereof con'stitilting the coating chamber, and two others constituting.dust-collecting chambers disposed on opposite sides of the casing andhaving their discharge ends opposing each other, the portion of saidcoating chamber lying between said'discharge ends of saiddust-collecting chambers constituting a suction chamber,dampers-controlling the com munication of the inlet'ends ofsaiddustcollectin'g chambers with said coating chamber, means interposedbetween said suction chamber and said coating chamber for projecting aircurrents into the latter, said dampers whenopen serving to currents topass through said dust-collecting chambers. v

14. A machine of the kind specified comprising a casing dividedint-erio-rly int-ov a plurality of chambers, on'e thereof constitut ingthe coating chamber, and two others constituting dust-collectingchambers disposed on' opposite sides of the'casing and havinghtheirdischarge ends opposing each other, theportion of said'coating-lchainberlying between said discharge ends of said dnstg collecting chambersconstituting a suction chamber, dampers controlling the communication ofthe inlet ends of said dustcollecting chambers with said coatingchamber, means disposed contiguous to the discharge ends of saiddust-collecting chambers for creating air currentsin said coatingchamber, devices'for oscillating said means for varying the direction oftravel of air currents within said coating chamber and means forsupplying coating material to said coating chamber.

15. A machine of the kind specified com prising a casing dividedinteriorly into a plurality of chambers, one thereof constituting thecoating chamber and at least one other thereof constituting the dustcollecting chamber communicating at its inlet and discharge ends withsaid coating chamber, a damper controlling the communication of saiddust collecting chamber at its inlet end with said coating, meansdisposed contiguous to the discharge end of said dust collecting chamberfor setting the air contained in said coating chamber in motion therein,the walls of said coating chamber being curved to guide air currentsprojected, against the same to laterally traverse the bottom of. saidchamber, the inlet end of said dust collecting chamber being disposed inthe'path of air currents passing from the bottom to the top of saidcoat-ing chamber and means for supplying coating material to saidcoating chamber.

16. A machine of the kind specified, comprising a casing dividedinteriorly into a plurality of chambers, one thereof constituting thecoating chamber, and two others constituting dust collecting chambersdisposed on opposite sides of the casing and having their discharge endsopposing each other, the portion of said coating chamber lying betweensaid discharge ends of said dust collecting chambers constituting asuction chamber, means interposed between said suction chamber and saidcoating chamher for projecting air currents into the latter, the wallsof the coating chamber against which the air currents are projectedbeing curved and adapted to guide and deflect the air currents tolaterally traverse the lower portion of the chamber and pass upwardlytoward said suction chamber, the inlet ends of said dust collectingchambers disposed in the path of the upwardly passing air currents,dampers controlling said inlet ends of said dust collecting chambers andmeans for supplying coating material to said coating chamber.

17. A machine of the kind specified, comprising a casing dividedinteriorly into a said suction chamber and said coating cham her forprojecting air currents into the lat:-

ter, means for oscillating said air projecting means to cause theprojecting air currents to impinge alternately upon opposite side walls.of said casing, the latter being curved and adapted to guide anddeflect the air currents to laterally traverse the lower portion of thechamber and pass upwardly toward I said suction chamber, the inlet endsof said dust collecting chambers d-isposedin the path of the upwardlypassing air currents, dampers controlling said inlet ends of said dustcollecting chambers and means for supplying coating material to saidcoating chamber.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WUDOLPH WM. LOTZ.

Witnesses A. M. WILSON,

TLK. BRYANT.

